Quick and Easy Vegan Recipe: Zoe's Vegetarian Chili

From the Savvy Vegetarian Kitchen

Serves 4 - 6

We adapted this many years ago from a recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook, by Mollie Katzen. We ate it so often at our house, when the kids were growing up, that we knew the recipe off by heart. Colorful, tasty, and satisfying, it was guaranteed to please starving teenagers. There were always several containers in the freezer. We dedicate this recipe to our daughter, Zoe, who pretty much lived on it for several years, and has been nagging us for the recipe. It's great by itself, with parmesan or ricotta cheese, or with salad and cornbread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried kidney beans, with cooking liquid (see recipe below)
• Or 2 cans bean, drained and rinsed + 4 cups water
• 1 cup bulgar or cracked wheat
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped small
• 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded, or 1 pinch cayenne
• 2 thin slices fresh ginger, peeled, or 1/2 tsp dried
• 1 tiny pinch asoefetida, OR 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 3 Tblsp olive oil
• 1 tsp each: paprika, gr. cumin, coriander, fennel
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 c. minced parsley
• 1 Tblsp braggs liquid aminos, or soy sauce

Kidney beans:

1. 1 cup dried dark red kidney beans
2. Soak 4 hours in hot water, or overnight
3. Drain, rinse, add 6 cups unsalted water
4. Bring to a boil, skim foam, cover and simmer 2 hours
5. For a detailed explanation of bean cooking & eating, see: Ask The Savvy Vegetarian: How To Eat Beans Without Gas

Chili Directions:

1. Add bulgar & tomato paste to kidney beans + cooking liquid or water
2. Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, jalapeno & ginger slices
3. Return to boil, cover and simmer
4. Preheat saute pan or frying pan on medium
5. Prep veggies, including garlic clove, if you're using it
6. Saute veggies in oil 5 minutes
7. Add remaining spices, saute another two minutes
8. Add a few tablespoons water, cover, and steam for ten minutes
9. Transfer the veggies to the bean + bulgar mix, cook another fifteen mnutes or so
10. Add minced parsley, and braggs or say sauce to taste

*If you're going to soak and cook beans, it's worth making extra, to freeze in small amounts for future meals.

*For more detailed advice on cooking and eating beans:
Ask The Savvy Vegetarian: How To Eat Beans Without Gas

*For more great bean recipes from Savvy Vegetarian, go to:
Barley Bean Veggie Soup - Vegan
Refried Beans - Vegan
Slightly Garlicky Hummus - Vegan
Tabouleh Middle Eastern Salad

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